Biomass and essential oil of Tagetes minuta influenced by pinching and harvesting stage under high precipitation conditions in the western Himalayas

Abstract

ABSTRACTA field experiment was conducted to study the effect of pinching and harvesting stages on duration of phenophases, aerial biomass partitioning, and essential oil productivity. It comprised of two pinching (pinching and without pinching) and four harvesting stages (bud initiation, flower initiation, 50% flowering and 100% flowering). All the phenological stages were delayed by pinching and the crop took 93–103 days, respectively, under control and pinching from transplanting to 100% flowering. Biomass accumulation in to leaf, flower and stem was enhanced by pinching. Pinching and 100% flowering stage recorded significantly higher fresh biomass and essential oil content than other treatments. Delay in harvesting stage from bud initiation to 100% flowering also caused variation in oil content and composition. Major constituents of essential oil (Z)-β-ocimene and (E)-ocimenone increases, while dihydrotagetone and (E)-tagetone decreases with delay in harvesting from bud initiation to 100% flowering stage.